Personal Branding Online: Build Trust to Close More Sales

Personal Branding Online:

Build Trust to Close More Sales

Your online presence should be a natural extension of your marketing position.

by By Peter Kobak | SoMe Connect

Why is it important for you to have an online brand? In 2012, the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) reported 32 percent of homebuyers found their agents online – a number that has doubled in the last decade! Today, over 90 percent of home searches begin online, accordingto NAR.

“Find your voice; find what you’re most comfortable talking about,” says Anne Rossley, a top-producing Baird & Warner agent in Chicago. While Anne admits it took a while to build her online presence through a blog (www.annerossleyrealestate.com[2]), on Twitter (@AnneRossley), and LinkedIn, her clients find value in the personal brand she promotes.

More importantly, she’s seen higher closing percentages, enhanced credibility among new contacts, and more credibility in the industry.

In your offline professional life, you emphasize the skills and expertise you possess that align you with your target market. Your online brand should be a natural extension of these efforts.

Once you’ve defined your personal brand, it’s crucial that your actions online stem from and reinforce this brand. The last thing you want is for a potential client to feel that you are phony because Googling your name produced results in one place that were inconsistent with the image you were working hard to portray in other places. Make sure that the online channels you are using are in line with the brand you’ve worked so hard to create. If you’re the agent that sells single-family homes on the North Side of Chicago, share content relevant to your specific market.

Think about what questions you’re asked in person. Then provide answers online to attract potential clients during their search. Share the following types of information:

The quality of local schools and civic institutions

Keys to finding the right mortgage lender in your area

The availability of open spaces like parks and recreational areas

Historical and cultural elements that differentiate the neighborhoods you serve

You should be anticipating questions you often receive while meeting with homebuyers and provide those answers proactively online. This will also help you appear more frequently in search queries made by your target client.

Social media allows you to start building personal relationships with prospective clients. The focused and relevant content you provide for your target market will leave a positive impression on potential homebuyersor sellers.

In the end, your potential clients want someone they can trust to find the right home for them.

To build that trust, you need to communicate an authentic and consistent personal brand. The advantage of doing so online is standing out from your competition and hooking clients before you meet them in person.

About the author: Peter Kobak is a Digital Marketing Associate at SoMe Digital Media, LLC, a full-service social media marketing agency based in Chicago. info@someconnect.com[3].